Broadway Legend Joined: 2/14/04
I saw Sutton Foster on tour in Les Mis.
I saw Sutton Foster as Star to Be in the 1997 revival of Annie, and Laura Benanti in the ensemble of The Sound of Music.
Daniel Breaker went to my high school.
I didn't know him or anything though.
Broadwaybabe, thanks for the lesson, really don't know what I would have done on my Sunday without it. I don't care how many threads you rehash or whether or not you like the search feature, I was simply trying to point out that the answer(s) to your question already existed, in a very extensive manner, that's all.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
I directed Sally Murphy in summer stock when she was 16 - does that count?
Other well known performers who worked at my theatre include Merle Dandridge, Aisha DeHaas, and Michael Shannon.
I was blown away by Christopher Fitzgerald in the one man Fully Committed, off Broadway -- how many years ago? I remember walking out and saying "there's a guy who should go far."
So I was really disappointed when his second understudy (Brian Shepard) did Igor last week when we saw Young Frankenstein! Jon Patrick Walker, the first understudy, was too busy playing Frederick for the missing Roger Bart!
In 1993, I was in "Funny Girl" with Stephanie Block. It was her first Equity show. My part was the Tenor and she was Fanny Brice. The whole bride number that I sang, was about her.
Stand-by Joined: 8/24/04
Chester Gregory II in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Columbia College. He was a wonderful Jesus.
Cheyenne Jackson used to do shows all the time at two community theatres near me--The Village Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. He actually stays at my old voice teacher's house sometimes when he comes back to Washington.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
The Fosters, Marissa Winokur in Grease
Kelli O'Hara in Dracula
"Cheyenne Jackson used to do shows all the time at two community theatres near me--The Village Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. He actually stays at my old voice teacher's house sometimes when he comes back to Washington."
- I actually worked stage crew at Village Theatre and did "Bells are Ringing" with Cheyenne in the ensemble.
During "The Midas Touch" number, he was a dancer and he was dressed in a loincloth and some big neck jewelry thing (think Joseph in the scenes of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" where his brothers come to meet him in Egypt, and he's the Paroah's "Right Hand Man").
My job during that scene was to squat behind the set piece that Dr. Kitchell sings on to keep is mic cord in check (he sings into a live mic for this song as a "lounge act"), and the gal dancers and Cheyenne were all back there with me. Needless to say, I got up close and personal with Cheyenne's thighs and pecks long before anyone on Broadway got to!
Sierra Boggess on tour in Les Miz, Max Von Essen in summerstock Cabaret.
Cheyenne Jackson in a whole bunch of regional productions in Seattle.
Whenever we'd see him in a show my mom would open her program and say, "Look, the pretty boy who can sing but can't act is in this."
She doesn't believe me when I tell her his acting has improved a bit since then.
Stand-by Joined: 12/27/07
My parents saw Anthony Rapp when he was first starting on Broadway.
I saw Norm Lewis in the Toronto production of Miss Saigon many moons ago. I also saw the Fosters and Marissa in the Grease tour. Saw Linda Balgord as Rose in the Aspects of Love tour-she was amazing.
Eric Kunze and Gina Felicia use to do theatre at a regional theatre I use to do shows at in S.D.
Also Ally Mussey was in a showchior my highschool use to compete against. She was one of thier soloist.
I saw Missi Pyle in several productions at NCSA in the mid-nineties, including Squeaky in ASSASSINS and Cressida in TROILUS AND CRESSIDA.
In the early nineties, Kate Walsh did community theatre in Tucson. I saw her in TOOTH OF CRIME and BAAL.
I saw Susan Egan in South Pacific at the Sacramento Music Circus right before she got Beauty and the Beast.
And I have seen plenty of amazing theater folks get their start at Music Circus before it was trendy to do the shows there...
I saw Neil Patrick Harris peform in his last high school play his Senior year of high school. Does that count, since he was already in Doogie Howser previously? Well he had not been on Broadway yet so I say it counts. He was in this play Terminal Cafe. The whole so was amazing and I can still remember it too this day, to think that was like 15 or 16 years ago, in his home town of Albuquerque, NM, then I saw him years later on the same stage in the tour of RENT. Boys come a long way!! :)
I will add that Ms Eder came back to Denver after the pre-Broadway tour of J&H and did a "thank you" concert for us. We were the highest grossing stop on the tour. The concert was great.
Just an aside....Thomas14850ny2, please get your own avatar. Mine is a personal pic that I took so you copied it from me. it would be appreciated. Thank you.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/19/03
Carolee Carmello in the 1990 "Chess" tour...even back then, it was a local girl made good story...she graduated from SUNY Albany and the show played Proctors in Schenectady.
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